Bedtime Stories
by mwwhitacre
Summary: We've watched the inhabitants of Avenger's tower take care of a baby on a daily basis, but how does each Avenger handle putting their little, loquacious, girl to bed every night? Stories, reenactments, 'persuasion,' movies, lullabies, and a whole lot of 'one more minutes.' Set after Superdad.
1. Chapter 1

**The Prologue is the Beginning**

Bare feet pattered down the wood-floored hallway, finally reaching the comforting soft rug at too fast of a sprint. Little feet flew up and in front of the head of red curly hair as a small whimper penetrated the silence.  
"Evy?" A deeper voice asked. Wiping nose and getting to her feet, the little girl made a beeline for her collection of stuffed animals. Arranging each one in tiny rows, she spoke to them as her furry, inanimate confidants.  
"Sleepy time. We go to sleep now," she tucked them in with one another, folding a blanket gently around them. She picked up a floppy eared hound.  
"I don't wanna go to bed!" she voiced the dog's whine. Shaking her head she gingerly set the stuffed pup down.  
"No, Kibby, you haft to sleep now," she told it matter-of-factly. "Just like everybody else."  
"Evy, honey. It's bedtime, not play time." A handsome, tall, blonde man entered the room. He scooped the giggling redhead in his arms. Spinning her around, the man gently tossed her in the air, quickly catching her in his arms and holding steadfastly to his chest as she laughed heartily. Her little fingers gripped his shoulder as he leaned down making room for her on her fluffy bed.  
"Daddy!" she squealed. "I put Kibby to bed, but he was diffy-cult."  
"Well is Kibby tucked in?"  
"Yes, but he doesn't like it," she explained, as he pulled back the covers of her purple comforter.  
"I'm sure he'll fall sleep soon enough," the man smiled. "Have you said your prayers?" The little girl's eyes widen as she jumped out of the cocoon of blankets to the ground and began whispering her nightly prayers. Eventually the man realized that the little girl was drawing out her prayers to include every single stuffed animal in the room. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked up with a sheepish grin.  
"Amen," she finished quickly, climbing into her bed. Her father plugged in her favorite owl night light and readjusted her comforter again so that she was comfortably nestled in the soft down blankets.  
"Daddy?" she asked. "Can we have a story tonight?" He sighed, but pulled a chair up to the edge of her bed and took a seat.  
"I think we can do a story tonight," he reached for a book, when the little girl stopped him.  
"No, daddy. I want a 'real' story," she explained.  
"A 'real' story?"  
"Yeah, I want a story that _really_ happened." She punctuated the word with a grand gesture. The man leaned back and pondered for a moment.  
"You want a 'real story?'" he asked and she replied with a nod. "All right...Once upon a time..."


	2. Chapter 2

Steve: Cinderella Man  
"You want a 'real story?'" he asked and she replied with a nod. "All right..."  
 _Once upon a time there lived a man who no one believed could be anything more than that scrap of a man. He was short and scarecrow like and asthmatic but he lived in a time where the entire world was dancing. His father and mother served their duties in the war to end all wars-his father a soldier, his mother a nurse. But his story didn't start then, nor did it start while his family lived through the great depression, or the day he lost his father…or when he lost his mother. His story started December 7_ _th_ _, 1942, a day that neither he, nor the rest of the world would ever forget. It was the first time, his home had been attacked and you see this little guy wanted nothing more than to protect his home._

"Like a knight!" she interrupted enthusiastically.  
"Yes. A lot like a knight…"  
"Daddy?"  
"Yes sweetie?"  
"Is there a little girl in this story?" she asked him with bright, innocent eyes.  
"There will be, but that's much _later_ in the story," he explained.  
"But, daddy...can there be a little girl now?"  
"I thought you wanted a 'real' story," he chuckled.  
"Daddy. There hafted to be little girls, right?"  
"Yes. I'm positive there were."  
"Then why can't there be one in your story?"  
"All right, all right. You have a point." The man sat back in the chair pondering for a moment this new addition to the story. After a moment, he leaned forward again and nodded.

 _But before he could go fight bad guys and save dame-sels, he had to become a knight and to do that he'd have to prove he was strong and noble enough to put on his armor. You see, all the generals and sergeants thought he was too small and weak to be a knight. So, every time he asked to join, each one told him he couldn't.  
_ "That's mean, daddy," she scowled. "They need-they need to be nice coz they're knights and knights are 'sposed to be..kind."  
"They didn't mean to be unkind honey, but knights have to be strong enough to fight and many of the people were worried that man would die. They were trying to protect him."  
"Oh…okay...what about the little girl daddy?Is she a knight too?"

 _Well the little girl was one of the few people to believe in him. Every time the man was turned, that little girl was right there telling him not to give up. So he traveled farther away to places like Jersey, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie and New York. Five times he asked and was turned down. Then, one day a doctor overheard this guy and decided to give him a chance. The little guy took that chance, willing to prove that he could be strong enough to fight.  
_ "He has fairy godmother!"  
"What?"  
"Daddy, he got to be a knight coz his fairy godmother made him one," she explained, her eyes sparkling with the tale. Steve's forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows pinched together. An image flashed through his mind melding his memory of the noble Dr. Erskine with a vivid image of that blue cloaked woman from the Cinderella movies. He blinked his eyes, unwilling to let that train of thought continue its course.  
"Well, he was definitely giving the fella a chance. And he was like a wizard-like your uncle Tony," Steve rationalized to the baby.  
"Oh. Oh-tay, I think he was a fairy, but he can be a widard too," she conceded. "And he got to be a knight?" She asked him, a yawn smothering her sentence.  
"Yes, sweetie. He did get to be a knight."  
"Whadda about the little girl?"  
"She stayed his little princess," he smiled at her.  
"But, daddy, does she gots to be a princess?" she asked. "Can she be a knight too?"  
"Yes, honey. She can be a knight too."  
"Good," she answered, her head snuggling into the soft pillow. "Knights are cool…I wanna be a knight."  
"Maybe when you're bigger," the man replied, tucking the covers around her.  
"I am big, member?" she pointed sleepily to the wall where a succession of several brightly colored marks recorded her height.  
"When you're bigger than me," he amended.  
"Awww daddy, that takes _forever_ ," she grumbled.  
"Maybe," he replied, stroking her curls, remembering a time, not so long ago, when only tufts of red hair were just barely covering her head. "Maybe not."


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: Well, I'm back. I couldn't help but write a few more short stories about Evy and Steve. The series is set between Superdad and Alter Ego, so many of the drabbles will feature Evy from age 5 to 9, as she is put to bed by several of our favorite characters from the Marvel Universe. Henceforth, let it be known for the remainder of this fic, I do not own the Avengers or the Marvel Franchise. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy Bedtime Stories. **  
**_

 **I'm Friends With the Monster  
**

The scientist was unaccustomed to these nightly rituals. When he wasn't so dead tired that he'd plop down upon the nearest surface or where ever he'd somehow get after a 'transformation,' Bruce Banner was content on working himself to sleep. His mind was constantly humming with thoughts and ideas. Often those thoughts were edged by intense emotions: fear and anxiety, sometimes guilt, but most times anger. So, to wear himself out, he would begin running equations in his mind. He tried to keep them practical, answers to real-life problems, such as the maximum force the Captain's shield could withstand, or the maximum velocity at which Mjolnir could return to the thunder god. Then there were nights when he'd run through these equations and just so he could finally fall asleep he'd have to begin estimating how much shwarma the Hulk and Thor would need to consume to bankrupt their local haunt or, on average, how many cups of coffee were consumed by each Avenger. The former was quite an intriguing commentary on how the past socioeconomic status, current level of physical fitness, and physiological energy thresholds of each Avenger stratified their caffeine intake. But that night those creative inquiries had to wait while he battled the specific anxiety he felt whenever he was around one specific little girl.

* * *

She had gone to bed obediently, sitting in the middle of the blankets with a story book.  
"I'm reading, just like daddy," she told the scientist happily. He hadn't the heart to tell her the book was upside down.  
"Oh…good," he cleaned his glasses as he thought about the situation. The sooner she was asleep, the better-the more relaxed he would be.  
"It's about a cat," she pointed to a picture. "See?"  
"Yes, a cat. That's nice." She closed the book and set it on her lap.  
"Are you listening?" she asked him, arms crossed. "Coz' sometimes people say 'that's nice' so that they don't haft to listen, and they think I don't know coz' I'm a kid, but I know."  
"I was listening and I thought it was nice."  
"Oh-tay…can we play a game?"  
"I don't think so Evy, it's already past your bedtime."  
"Please, it's really fast, promise!" She held out her hand. The scientist shrugged and held his hand out to her.  
She got to her knees and curled one hand over his fist.  
"Uncle Clint teached me," she told him happily. "One-two-three-four-I declare the fumb war-five, six, seven, eight, keep your fumbs straight." The scientist kept his thumb straight while she tried to pin his finger down. Eventually he set his thumb down long enough for her to secure a victory.  
"Brucie? Do you like the fumb war game?"  
"It's all right."  
"I don't think you got the rules right. You gotta stop me from keeping your fumb down."  
"Oh, you're right. I guess I'm a bit tired."  
"Brucie wants to go to bed?" She asked, disappointment laced in her voice.  
"I think we both need to go to bed," he clarified.  
"Oh...all right." Starring into those blue eyes, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. He hardly spent any time with her. She was bouncing off the walls the moment he entered into the apartment, wanting him to play anything and everything with her. The captain was able to reign her in just before he left, making the two sit down to watch a movie with all her stuffed animals. During that hour, she snuggled up in his arm, explaining every little detail of _Kiki's Delivery Service_. Once the movie had finished, she had gotten hold of a broom and pretended to rush about the apartment delivering little packages. She wasn't a bad kid-far from it. Still, whenever he was around her that familiar feeling of pain intensified over the background noise of emotions that hummed throughout him. He could handle anger, but pain ate away at him at the very thought...it was too much.  
When she 'delivered' that book to him, he had to put her to bed. The feelings overwhelmed him. He didn't tell her of course, who that book once belonged to. Instead, he picked her up, hoisted her high above his shoulders when she said she was flying and then carefully set her on her bed. She was more than disappointed that they were no longer playing, but complied with his request to get ready for bed. Now, as he tucked her in and wished her goodnight, he felt his anger building. He heard a growl within himself; he closed the door, watching the crestfallen face fall against the pillows as she clutched her stuffed puppy. The _other guy_ wasn't happy with the scientist.

Bruce woke with a start. He sat up from the couch and listened. The apartment was as quiet as ever; it was unsettling. The apprehension built inside of him until he stood and crept down the hall. The _other guy's_ instincts were always right and that guided him down the dark hall and to Evy's room. He opened the slightly ajar door. Her night light was no longer on the stand next to her bed. Instead, it was smothered under the covers. He stepped into the room and all at once the little bundle of covers jumped in fright revealing the little girl shining her nightlight in front of her.  
"Evy?" he questioned, turning on the main light. Her pale face trembled at her uncle's presence.  
"Brucie!" she called. "Stop. Stay" The scientist stopped on her command.  
"Evy what's wrong?" She could barely speak.  
"Brucie, I hads a nightmare-but I got up and then-"she gulped.  
"And then?"  
"Something real bad."  
"Something real bad?" She nodded. The scientist sighed at her tight-lipped and vague response, running a hand through his hair.  
"Evy, what are you scared of?" He asked her, part of him worried about the answer.  
"I…The monster," she whispered. He sighed. He had always worried that she would be scared of him, he had hoped he would never let her see the Hulk, never know what he could turn into.  
"Brucie, don't go!" she called, leaning past her bed. "It'll get me if you go."  
"Evy, I am so sorry. I promise, the monster will never hurt you," she gave him a disbelieving look. "What can I do to make you feel better?" She stopped shaking for a moment, allowing him to take a seat next to her.  
"Can I…can I stay with you?"  
"I don't think that's a good idea."  
"Then…can…can Hulk stay?"  
"You…you want the Hulk?"  
"Yeah. Hulk can scare 's bigger."  
"Where is this monster?" He asked, starting to become concerned. She pointed below her.  
"Where?" She got to her knees again and whispered in his ear. "Under the bed." Bruce, setting his glasses on the side table, got onto his knees.  
"Brucie, no!" Evy cried, trying to stop him from looking under the bed. When the scientist continued to pull up the bed ruffle, the little girl dove under the covers, leaving only a small slit to peak.  
Dust bunnies…a frisbee…a coloring book…and…and…what was that? He reached in further and his hand grasped something furry. Suddenly, it moved. Bruce instinctively pulled the thing out with a slight jump from the sudden movement. Evy gave a small cry at her uncle's surprise, grabbing a pillow and pulling it protectively over her head. When she set the pillow down, she noticed her uncle was calmly holding her hedgehog toy, its rotors spinning freely as it attempted to drive while suspended in air.  
"Sonic," she cried reaching for the toy. The scientist handed the less-than-frightening monster to her. She hugged it close to her.  
"I guess that monster wasn't so bad after all," he said placing a hand on shoulder.  
"Yeah..." she trailed off. "He's not a monster-he's my friend." She smiled up at him, and for a moment there, the growling stopped, the pain ebbed and he felt warmth wash over him.  
"Come here," he picked her and her hedgehog toy up and carried them out to the kitchen. One package of cookies and three glasses of milk later, and the pair was thoroughly stuffed. The little girl tried to wiped off the milk mustache and stray crumbs from her face.  
"Brucie, are you gonna come over again?" she asked him seriously.  
"Of course I am."  
"But I make you sad."  
"You make me sad?"  
"Sometimes, you get really sad and I'm the only one around. And you think I don't know coz' I'm kid, but I know."  
"You don't make me sad," she gave him a skeptical look. "You remind me of something that makes me sad, but it isn't you."  
"Promise?"  
"I promise," he assured her "But we have to keep this between us. We don't want your dad to find out about our bedtime snack, all right? Otherwise, he might not let me visit you as often." Evy's eyes widened and shook her head.  
"Pinky promise!"

* * *

The captain never knew the full details surrounding the fate of the missing package of cookies. He assumed it was a snack of some sort and left it just as that. Even he knew it was better not to ask in some instances. In the end, the secret snack, and the 'friendly monster' joined the list of the tower's unsolvable mysteries and binding pinky promises.


	4. Chapter 4

**If he only had a heart**

"Jarvis!" she whined, hitting the switch on her bedside lamp. Eleven year old Evelyn Rogers glared at the ceiling. Once she had settled back into the covers, she had one brief moment of reading before everything plunged into darkness.  
"Jarvis come on!" Her hand whipped wildly in the dark, searching for the lamp. This time, her fingers had barely left the switch when the light was extinguished.  
" _I am sorry Miss Rogers, but your father has requested that I uphold your 9-o-clock curfew. It is now 9:05._ "  
"Come on Jarvis. I've only got one more page and I'll be finished!" At this point she was on the floor rummaging through her side dresser. Triumphantly, she pulled out the old flashlight. With a click the bluish beam penetrated the darkness and she was scrambling onto the bed.  
" _Miss Rogers,_ " Jarvis began. " _You are past your curfew. If you do not turn off the flashlight, I will be forced to contact your father._ " She put the book down exasperatedly. Her father was powwowing with the other Avengers in the common room about some sort of conflict. He only allowed her to stay up in her own room, instead of with Aunt Pepper and Elijah, if she promised to listen to Jarvis. If Jarvis interrupted dad, he might think she needed a babysitter-which was ridicules! She was too old for a babysitter. She _was_ a babysitter for Pete's Sake! Aunt Pepper and Uncle Tony ask her to watch Elijah all the time and they always tell her how grown up and responsible she was. So it just didn't make sense why her dad wouldn't let her babysit herself.  
"Please Jarvis," she pleaded with the AI. "It'll only take five minutes-tops! I promise!" Even though the trusty butler was only a machine, it was clearly capable of sensing Evy's award-winning puppy dog look, and if AIs could sigh…  
" _I will start a timer for five minutes_." The pre-teen celebrated her victory silently, as her side lamp came to life once again. Jarvis could be all right sometimes, she mused. She didn't last more than 3 minutes before she dozed off, book serving as a rather uncomfortable makeshift body pillow. When she opened her eyes next, it was still dark but her father was kneeling beside the bed gently shaking her awake.  
"Dad?"  
"Honey, I need you to wake up," he spoke leaning forward to gather her up, blankets and all.  
"Dad what's going on?" He didn't respond, but from the hall light illuminating her door she could tell he was wearing his uniform.  
"Dad? I can walk," she told him, but he didn't respond and didn't relent. Instead, the captain carried her quickly out of the room, out of the apartment, and right down to the black SUV that would take her, Elijah and Aunt Pepper straight to the obscure safe house. He was able to stay long enough to buckle her seat belt, kiss her forehead, and tell her how much he loved her, before the door was shut and the car left the tower. Her eyes never left her father, the garage door effectively shutting off her view of him.  
Every time it happened, she'd stare out at the tower disappearing in the distance and wonder if she would ever see it again. Would it still be there when she got back? Would other things around it be gone? She would watch it for a long time, turning round in her seat to gaze out the back window, ignoring all the protests from the driver. They didn't understand-it might be the last time she would see her home.

* * *

After she was ushered into the safe house, she took her usual spot on the bed by the basement window. She carried her blankets and plopped them on the bed. The _Wizard of Oz_ fell out of the trundle of blankets, clearly caught up in the Captain's hasty gathering. Evy grabbed the book and replaced the bookmark. She didn't feel much like reading about the Tin Man right now. Installed she grabbed the tablet on shelf. With a touch to the panel, a screen lit and Jarvis' voice began to list off the movies he had stored. It figured. Jarvis was always her babysitter anyway.  
"Evy?" Elijah appeared by her cot, his messy brownish red hair falling into his eyes and his hands gripping his Iron Man action figure.  
"Yeah?" she asked, eyes locked on the screen in front of her.  
"Whatcha doing?"  
"Checing for somethin'." Her fingers swiped across the panes furiously, but she couldn't find what she wanted. They had locked out all wireless access. When her father learned that she spent the entire time in the safe house watching the newscasts of the battle and had seen one of her uncles get hurt, he made an ultimatum. No broadcasts of the battle; if there was something she needed to be told, she was to be told in person with her aunt by her side. Frustrated, she eventually pulled up the movie list Jarvis had dictated and began scrolling through; there was no way she was sleeping that night. Elijah clambered onto the cot next to her, watching her every move. She noticed he was abnormally quiet, definitely not his usual self. Still, it was nice not to have him mouthing off about how great his inventions were or complaining about which 'lame' or 'girly' movie she picked. She'd let him talk first if he needed to talk at all. Finally, Elijah broke her concentration.  
"Evy?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Where's dad?"  
"He's out with my dad. They're doing Avenger's stuff."  
"Is it the robots?" He asked quietly, unnervingly meek.  
"The robots?" She turned her head toward him briefly. "What're you talking about?"  
"I had a nightmare about dad," he started. "And there was this really bad robot and he wanted to take over everythin.' Dad tried to stop him, but he couldn't."  
"It sounds like a bad nightmare," she remarked sympathetically. "But that's all."  
"How do you know?"  
"Cause."  
"Cause why?" he countered irritatingly. She set down the tablet with a sigh.  
"Because if robots did try to take over, your dad and my dad would stop them. Okay? Sides, robots aren't taking over."  
"How do you know?"  
"Well how do _you_ know they aren't?"  
"Cause Frankie said they might!"  
"Frankie told you that?" Evy shook her head. She hadn't seen her best friend very much since he had to go to that special school when he was like 13. Evy wished she could go to school with him. He was really funny and cool to be around, but sometimes he would say stuff and get paranoid about things. Her friend Lizzie told her that boys get that way when they turn 13. Evy really hoped that wasn't true because Neil was turning 13 in a month; she frankly didn't know how much more boy 'weirdness' she could take.  
"Aw, Frankie says stuff like that all the time," she brushed off.  
"So, robots aren't gonna take over the world?"  
"I dunno…maybe? Maybe not. No point in worrying until we get there."  
"Yeah. Okay, but I think we oughta tell my dad and your dad…just in case it's real. You know?"  
"Okay."  
"Evy?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What if the robots come now? Mom can't stop all of em' and dad and Uncle Steve aren't here."  
"That's okay. Jarvis'll stop them," she reassured the 9 year old. "He's a robot too, so he'll know best how to stop other robots." She looked up to the ceiling.  
"Right Jarv'? You'd protect us if bad robots attacked the house?"  
" _Of course Miss Rogers. I am quite prepared to take on such a challenge_."  
"Told ya." Elijah breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little more secure about the situation.  
"We're not watching that are we?" he asked with a hint of his usual snark. Still, Evy moved over, making room for her 'cousin.'  
"Fine. We'll let Jarvis pick. That way it's fair. Jarvis, can you pick something for _Master Stark_ and me to watch?" Elijah stuck his tongue out at the nickname.  
" _It would be my pleasure, Miss Rogers."  
_ Sometimes Jarvis could be all right, she mused, nestling into her blanket.  
The AI commenced playing the movie about the nurse bot turned protector. Jarvis 'liked' the concept a great deal. Just as that machine protected its 14 year old intelligent ward, the AI understood, deep in its coding, that he would do the same. He didn't need a heart to 'protect' and 'like' his charges unconditionally.

AN: My homage to _Age of Ultron_. I'm sorry for posting this late, but I'm hard at work completing Alter Ego. I'm going to stick to that September 1st deadline, so help me! As always, a humongous thank you to all who has viewed, faved and followed this story. I hope I can continue sharing these ficlets with you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Big Girls Don't Cry**

It was very loud outside her room. The almost nine year old drew her knees up into arms, flashlight loosely hanging from her fingers. She didn't like all those people in her home. There were dozens of agents stationed all throughout the tower and they wouldn't leave her alone. Every couple of minutes the door to her room would creak open and after a few covert mumbles into a transmitter they would close the door. This time, they found her sitting up, giving them a half-hearted wave. The agent wasn't even phased; with a moments paused, they closed the door slowly. She sighed. She didn't really know why she didn't like them. She just felt uneasy. She wished her family was home. She wished her dad would just come back already.

A light snore drew her attention to the side where her 7 year old cousin slept on the makeshift cot, clutching a plushy version of the Hulk. Elijah loved the attention. All these agents meant more people to play with him and try out some of his 'inventions.' The same guy who kept trying to play hide-and-seek with her, wore a strainer with wires attached on his head for two hours just to appease her younger cousin. She was less enthused with all the attention. It wasn't the agent's fault- it wasn't even that strainer-hat guy's fault-they all seemed nice enough. Still whenever they were there, it meant all of her family wasn't. She couldn't shake the feeling that something very bad could happen. Sleep was impossible. She tossed the flashlight from hand-to-hand, feeling antsier by the minute. Eventually she knew she had to get up. Quietly, she slipped on her furry panda bear slippers and headed to the door. Her hand stopped short of the handle; her cousin was still fast asleep. She didn't want him to be left alone. Rather than waking up the world's crabbiest kid, she nestled the flashlight next to him, just to make sure he wouldn't be scared if he woke to find her gone. Satisfied, she opened the door, leaving it ajar, and stepped into the busy living room. She would be quick-grab some milk, maybe a few graham crackers and then hurry off to her room again.

Peering around the hallway corner, she saw her living room bustling with agents and their monitoring equipment. If they took notice of the little girl, they didn't say anything. Evy hoped to keep it that way. Scurrying across the perimeter of the wall, she made her way to the dimly lit kitchen. Just to her luck that same weird agent was sitting at the kitchen table. She dropped to the floor, thinking she might be able to crawl her way under the table and to the fridge; she had just barely made it under the table when the cloth was lifted up.  
"What are you doing down there little lady?" the weird agent guy asked. At least he wasn't wearing the strainer on his head anymore which definitely made it easier to talk to him without starring. After all, her dad told her starring wasn't very nice.  
"Pretty late to be playing, isn't it?"  
"I'm not," she mumbled "I was going to get a glass of milk." She got up from her knees to address the towering agent.  
"Are you allowed to have milk so late?"  
"Sometimes," she responded. "When I can't sleep or my stomach is queasy, dad'll bring me some milk." The agent nodded and retrieved a glass from the cupboard.  
"Are you sick to your stomach?"  
"Kinda, but not 'sick' sick. Just nervous sick." Evy withdrew the carton, reveling in the biting chill that escaped from the fridge. She closed the door upon hearing the clink of a glass being set upon the table. She let the agent pour the milk and he gestured for her to take a seat next to him. She sipped the milk as he watched the monitors, falling into an easy, nearly boring silence. Still, she couldn't relax. If anything, the cold milk made her stomach churn even more. That's when she felt the first tear roll down her cheek. A fat one rolled down the other side, landing in her milk, and suddenly she was fighting back the sobs. She didn't want to cry. She didn't like crying and she didn't want to cry in front of someone. That's what babies did! And Evelyn Rogers was no baby!

"Agent Cartwright? I can take it from here. Why don't you check on Elijah?" Evy could barely see Uncle Phil through her tear-blurred vision. Agent Cartwright squeezed the redhead's shoulder and left her to the care of her uncle.  
Phil Coulson took Agent Cartwright's seat.  
"What's wrong munchkin?"  
"My stomach hurts Uncle Phil," she told him, eyes squinted, willing the tears to stop. The older man knew better than to comment on the child's tears. Instead, he picked up the empty glass.  
"Cold milk doesn't really help, does it?"  
"No…dad usually warms it, but I forgot ta," she answered, wiping her teary eyes. Sniffling and keeping her head down she kept the sobs at bay. "When's dad gonna come home?" She tried to ask casually, as though every thought in her head wasn't consumed with the whereabouts of her family.  
"Soon. They're all going to come home soon."  
"Is everybody else going to go _soon_?"  
"Still don't like the agents? I think agent Cartwright was hoping he'd finally be in your good graces."  
"He's okay, I guess. I just want dad to come back. I want them all to come back," she ended her sentence barely above a whisper. "Are you gonna leave Uncle Phil?"  
"No. I'm not going to leave until your dad gets here himself."  
"Promise?"  
"Promise."

There were few things Phil Coulson regretted, but that day five years ago would always haunt his nightmares. This time, he handpicked the agents that were the tower's acting sentries. None of these men or women would be compromised. He would ensure that. Regardless, he would never leave her alone with just agents again. If he left, she was coming with him. It didn't matter if he was going headfirst into battle, he wasn't leaving without those two children by his side. He would never make that mistake again. But that didn't save the little girl from living with his mistake throughout the beginning of her life. It got to him; no matter how many agents he could fill the tower with, no matter how long he stayed and no matter how many years after the fact, she still didn't feel safe. She was still scared. Straightening his shoulders, he knew he had to do something-anything to keep her from feeling afraid.  
"Your birthday is right around the corner," he started. "Do you know what you want?" Her little form tensed as she nervously avoided the agent's gaze.  
"What is it?" Uncle Phil asked with a knowing smile.  
"I-"she began. "I really want…" She stayed quiet, wringing her hands. Oh she knew what she wanted. She had known for a long time, but she knew better than to ask. She'd first seen them when she was very young-still allowed to leave the tower with dad on errands. It was in the winter and dad would bundle her up and carry her through the snow. She would stop her dad every time she saw them. He'd let her watch them for a bit, but dad never did like the cold. Now, what she wanted could never happen.  
"I didn't catch that."  
"Ice skates…"  
"Ice skates?" the agent asked and the little girl nodded quickly.  
"Just ice skates. No ice to skate on?"  
"Well, I thought they kinda went together," she spoke meekly.  
"Do you know how to ice skate?"  
"Uh well no, but maybe I can learn?" Agent Coulson sat back in his chair, brushing back his graying hairs with his hand."I'd try really hard to learn, Uncle Phil. I promise." She added softly.

Somehow he couldn't deny the redhead her one birthday wish. It would mean a lot of paperwork, coordination of agents, and extra security checks, but if he had to buy out the entire rink to fill it with agents, then that's what he would do. Maybe Phil Coulson couldn't erase her nightmares of the past, but he would make sure she could have a chance at her dreams.  
"I'll tell you what," he began. "You read me one of the stories from your reading list and tomorrow I might look into a few of the local rinks-maybe we'll start with an ice show." Her eyes lit up and she jumped into the agent's arms. He would do anything, of course, for his goddaughter.  
"Agent Coulson?" Cartwright had appeared at the door, wearing the colander again and looking miffed. To his side, little Elijah Stark stood with arms crossed as he scolded the agent.  
"Now we've gotta do it all over again. The data is bad. Now I gotta wait even more!"

AN: I wasn't going to post this one-shot next, but since last week, I'm looking at this chapter a little differently now.


End file.
